Infinite Bronze War Thread 10 10

[Weird]

A series that went through a lot of changes, almost with each new issue:

 

I don't think I have any Marvel bronze war books.

 

Were the changes thematic or talent-wise?

[Weird]

very cool--so is this like the first unmasking of the Unknown Soldier? I read the title in the 80s and never saw him unmasked. I loved war books as well but my concentration during my readership days was primarily G.I. Combat, Sgt Rock, and Unknown Soldier.

 

I think it is, but no one has confirmed it and I cannot find it in the guide - maybe I am just blind.

 

Star Spangled War Stories turns into The Unknown Soldier with issue 205. Our Army At War turns into Sgt. Rock with #302. They keep the numbering from the previous title.

 

Here's my copy of US 205. Great dark Kubert cover. Big chip out of the right edge, it's still hangin on though.

 

Edited March 29, 2005 by Weird

[deathlok]

A series that went through a lot of changes, almost with each new issue:

 

I don't think I have any Marvel bronze war books.

 

Were the changes thematic or talent-wise?

Mostly in the content. It started out reprinting some GA stories, then they moved on to reprinting Sgt Fury sotries, and finally it changed to a horror title. All in the span of a dozen or so issues.

[Weird]

Up late and bored, so here are some of the more interesting G.I. Combat covers I have:

 

 

G.I. Combat 245

 

 

G.I. Combat 260

 

 

G.I. Combat 287

 

[Weird]

Here's the first appearance of the Ninja.

 

I am putting together a short list of some of the key bronze issues. I'll post it and see if what else people can add. I do not have anywhere near all of them, so I may be off.

 

I am sure there has to be some Big 5 fans on the board who continued with the titles that were left in the 70s/early 80s. I'd like to devote more attention to these books, but that damned bronze horror keeps pulling me back.

 

G.I. Combat 232

 

[Weird]

Re-imaged my SSWS 151 as well:

 

 

[Zonker]

To go along with what I think is the first issue of the unmasked Unknown Soldier (let me know if I am wrong in this assumption - I don't have the complete run and Overstreet doesn't indicate any particular issue),

Yes, it is!

Nice work from Gerry Talaoc. The story is pretty brutal too. The US has to cap a Jewish girl at point blank range to keep his identity secret. I thought the death was going to be a trick or something, but no - he killed her to make sure his mission which included saving innocents wasn't exposed.

As much as I love most everything Archie Goodwin did, his previous tenure on Star-Spangled War continued the silly convention of never showing the US face. It was silly because at the inevitable unmasking moment in the story, you'd have US pulling off his mask, to reveal layers and layers of bandages underneath! I mean, I'm willing to buy the implausibility of the "Mission:Impossible" plastic face mask, but never could get past the stack-up of face + rolls of bandages + mask.

 

When Orlando took over the book as editor, he brought in David Michelinie as scripter, who really kicked things up a notch. I first read one of the Michelinie/Talaoc US stories in the Fireside Books' America at War reprint: I was struck how authentically brutal Michelinie's stories were for a mid-1970s book. Great stuff!

Edited March 29, 2005 by Zonker

[Weird]

To go along with what I think is the first issue of the unmasked Unknown Soldier (let me know if I am wrong in this assumption - I don't have the complete run and Overstreet doesn't indicate any particular issue),

Yes, it is!

 

Sweet, thanks for confirming. I wish OS would break that out/indicate it somewhere. For instance, it seems more important than some of the Enemy Ace reprint info they list in the run.

 

They do list a lot of good stuff for bronze war though. I quickly went through the new OS and the Big 5 guide I think I mentioned earlier (along with checking out Mike's DC Cover Gallery) and jotted down some quick issue info for important DC bronze war (and related) books.

 

It turned out to be quite a bit and I am sure I missed stuff, so let me know where I erred and what I missed. One thing, I'm sure there is some comic age crossover with some of the books. The list makes me realize how few of these issues I currently have.

 

 

 

Blitzkreig 1 Begin WWII through enemy's perspective

 

Brave & the Bold 96 Rock/Batman Last 15 cent issue

Brave & the Bold 108 Rock/Batman

Brave & the Bold 117 Rock/Batman 100 Pager

Brave & the Bold 124 Rock/Batman Aparo Cover

Brave & the Bold 146 US/Batman

Brave & the Bold 162 Rock/Batman - Iron Major appearance

Brave & the Bold 167 Blackhawk/Batman

 

DC Comics Presents 10 Rock/Superman

DC Comics Presents 42 US/Superman

DC Comics Presents 69 Blackhawk/Superman

 

DC-9 Rock 100 Pager (OAAW 242)

DC-16 Rock 100 Pager

 

DC Special 26 Enemy Ace

 

DC Special Series 3 Rock

DC Special Series 8 B&B Batman/Rock

DC Special Series 13 Rock

DC Special Series 18 Rock Prize Battle Tales

DC Special Series 22 G.I. Combat

 

DC Super-Stars 15 Rock/US

 

Detective 502 Death(?) of Mlle. Marie

 

GI Combat 138 Intro Losers -- 10/69

GI Combat 139 Jeb Gets Married

GI Combat 150 Death of Haunted Tank, Ice Cream Soldier name explanation

GI Combat 162 Death of Arch Asher

GI Combat 168 Adams Cover

GI Combat 201 Adams Cover

GI Combat 202 Adams Cover

GI Combat 203 Re-telling of Origin of Haunted Tank

GI Combat 232 1st Kana, the Ninja

GI Combat 242 1st Mercenaries (OS incorrectly states 244 as their first appearance)

GI Combat 244 Death of Slim Stryker, Anniversary Issue

GI Combat 264, 265 Origin Kana

GI Combat 269 1st Bravos of Vietnam

GI Combat 274 Monitor from Crisis cameo

 

Men of War 1 Origin Gravedigger

Men of War 4 1st Dateline Frontline

Men of War 9 US Appearance

Men of War 17 1st Rosa

Men of War 26 Sgt. Rock

 

Our Army At War 238 1st Horace Smith

OAAW 240 Adams art

OAAW 242 100 Page Super Spectacular 9

OAAW 251-253 Return of Iron Major

OAAW 267 Rock gets a kiss [i guess this was a noteworthy thing for Big 5 fans]

OAAW 273 Crucifixion cover

OAAW 280 200th Rock appearance

OAAW 295 Bi-centennial cover

 

Our Fighting Forces 146 Classic Toth art

OFF 147 Adams cover

OFF 151-162 Kirby

OFF 181 1st Falcon

 

Sgt. Rock 302 First Issue in Title, Anzio (through 304)

Sgt. Rock 310 Baby Story

Sgt. Rock 325-326 Future Kill

Sgt. Rock 329 Scarce Whitman variant exists

Sgt. Rock 339 D-Day

Sgt. Rock 345 Iron Major

Sgt. Rock 348 Zack loses an arm

Sgt. Rock 349 The Dummy

Sgt. Rock 359 Iron Major

Sgt. Rock 422 Joe, Adam, Andy Kubert team

 

Star Spangled War Stories 151 Begin Unknown Soldier in Title

SSWS 154 Origin Unknown Soldier

SSWS 157 Sgt. Rock crossover

SSWS 164 Origin Retold

SSWS 183 US Exposed

SSWS 200 Enemy Ace

SSWS 204 Last Issue of Title

 

Unknown Soldier 205 First Issue in Title

Unknown Soldier 219 Miller art

Unknown Soldier 250 Rock Appearance

Unknown Soldier 268 Death of Unknown Soldier

 

Weird War 1 1st Issue

Weird War 64 1st Miller DC work

Weird War 68 2nd Miller DC work

Weird War 93 1st Creature Commandos

Weird War 101 1st G.I. Robot

Edited March 30, 2005 by Weird

[Weird]

Here are some other related titles:

 

All-Out War 1 Origins Viking Commando, Force Three

 

Army At War 1 New material

 

Blackhawk 244 Re-launch 1976

Blackhawk 251 Re-launch 1982

 

Battle Classics Reprints -- 1 issue

 

Boy Commandos Reprints -- 2 issues

 

Four Star Battle Tales Reprints -- 5 Issues

 

GI War Tales Reprints -- 4 issues

 

 

*note* I think Army at War and Battle Classics also have material included in the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade.

[PovertyRow]

Ack! That GI 245 DOLLAR COMIC!!!!!!! Must seek it. Dang you for expanding my DC BA to this title.

[Weird]

Detective 502 Death(?) of Mlle. Marie

 

This is an odd one. It's the second part of a two parter (I only have the second part) in which it turns out that Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred, was knocking the proverbial boots with Mlle. Marie back in the day. It goes into a whole thing about Mlle. Marie possibly drowning right after, but not until after she gave birth to their love child.

 

 

Don't know if this storyline has been brought up anywhere else in the DC universe. Wild, wacky early 80s DC stuff...

 

Edited March 30, 2005 by Weird

[Weird]

Here are some other related titles:

 

Army At War 1 New material

 

Battle Classics Reprints -- 1 issue

 

*note* I think Army at War and Battle Classics also have material included in the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade.

 

I just looked them up and CCC #2 has the covers to issue 2 of AAW and issue 3 of Battle Classics. Here's my AAW 1:

 

Edited March 30, 2005 by Weird

[Weird]

Ack! That GI 245 DOLLAR COMIC!!!!!!! Must seek it. Dang you for expanding my DC BA to this title.

 

I do love the DC Dollar G.I. Combats though. What a cool looking format, just hellish to find in NM. Here's a few more.

 

G.I. Combat 217

 

 

G.I. Combat 231 (I guess you could call this a "money shot" )

 

[Weird]

Not a Dollar Comic, but still cool looking.

 

G.I. Combat 280

 

[awe4one]

GI Combat #147

 

 

Jim

[adamstrange]

Not a Dollar Comic, but still cool looking.

 

G.I. Combat 280

 

 

That's an awesome Kubert cover!

 

You could toss this one over on the Infinite BA Horror thread.

[PovertyRow]

Stop it! Stop showing those cool GI Combat Horror covers!!!!!!!!

[takeyourlemons]

Ack! That GI 245 DOLLAR COMIC!!!!!!! Must seek it. Dang you for expanding my DC BA to this title.

 

That's what I'm saying. Definitely looks like a WWT cover to me

[PovertyRow]

Ack! That GI 245 DOLLAR COMIC!!!!!!! Must seek it. Dang you for expanding my DC BA to this title.

 

That's what I'm saying. Definitely looks like a WWT cover to me

 

Man, doesn't it?! Just beautiful.

[Weird]

Stop it! Stop showing those cool GI Combat Horror covers!!!!!!!!

 

I don't have this one yet...